As expected, the Maruti Baleno turned out to be the highest-selling B2-segment hatchback in September 2019, with the Hyundai Elite i20 closely following at the second spot
The B2-segment of the Indian car market witnesses a lot of action every month, with over 25,000 units sold in spite of the slowdown that grips the entire auto industry. Even last month, the cumulative sales in this segment easily surpassed the 27,000 mark, thereby making this section among the most popular segments of the entire car industry.
As has been the norm, the Maruti Baleno topped the sales charts, while the Hyundai Elite i20 was a close second. Here’s the complete report on the sales of premium hatchbacks in September 2019.
At the first spot, we have the Maruti Baleno, which has been the long-standing winner in this segment. The most premium small car from the country’s largest-selling carmaker sold 11,420 copies, which is a pretty huge fall from the 18,631 units sold in the corresponding month last year. Still, in spite of this huge downfall, the Baleno continues to lead its segment on the sales charts.
| S.no | Model | No. Of Units Sold In September 2019 |
| 1. | Maruti Suzuki Baleno | 11,420 |
| 2. | Hyundai Elite I20 | 10,141 |
| 3. | Toyota Glanza | 2,773 |
| 4. | Volkswagen Polo | 1,643 |
| 5. | Honda Jazz | 649 |
At a rather close second, we have the Hyundai Elite i20, which has been perched atop the second spot ever since the Maruti Baleno entered the local car market. Last month, it sold 10,141 copies, which isn’t much lesser than what the segment-leader could manager. In September 2018, the second-gen i20 had sold 12,380 copies, which means the effects of slowdown on the premium Hyundai hatchback are far lesser than what the Baleno has experienced.
At a distant third, we have the Toyota Glanza, which has sold 2,773 copies. For the uninitiated, the Toyota Glanza is nothing but a rebadged Maruti Baleno that has become the first product from the Toyota-Suzuki JV that was formed earlier this year.
While the Baleno has been available in both petrol and diesel engines, the Glanza is sold only with the 1.2-litre engine option. Moreover, it’s available only in G and V trims, which correspond to the high-end Zeta and Alpha variants, respectively.
In the forth place, we have the Volkswagen Polo, a premium hatchback that has been on sale in the country for over 10 years now. The Polo clocked a monthly sales figure of 1,643 units in September 2019. In comparison, the most affordable hatchback in its carmaker’s lineup had registered a sale of 1,583 units in September 2018.
So, what this means is that the VW Polo has managed to put on a better show than what it did in the corresponding period last year in spite of the huge sales slowdown that has gripped the market. This could be the result of the recently launched updates that the small car from the German auto giant has received.
Also, last month’s sales performance of the Polo indicates that the low-selling hatchback just might end up conserving its sales momentum until the next-gen model arrives in the Indian market in a couple of years of time.
The last car on our list is the Honda Jazz, which has sold 649 units. The Jazz has experienced perpetually low sales in the Indian car market and its last month’s sales performance hasn’t left us surprised. In fact, even in September 2018, the smallest car in Honda’s lineup for India had sold only 1,018 units, which made it one of the least popular models in the segment.
While the Japanese auto giant is about to unveil the next-gen model of the Jazz, it’s rumoured that the new model is unlikely to make it to India owing to its poor brand image and the company’s inability to price it at par with the likes of Maruti Baleno.